THE GLOBE AND MAIL (TORONTO) -- But Riley didn’t always dream of a life of touring and recording. Before The Coup was signed to a recording deal, he studied filmmaking.

“Back then, at San Francisco State, we were not near Hollywood, so what happened to a lot of folks who studied there is they went to work for ILM [visual effects company Industrial Light and Magic], which was the industry in town, and where you’re not making your own movie,” Riley explains. “Then we got offered a record deal, where we’d be getting paid to make our art, and I felt that’s what would give me more control.”